Nigerian Senate Backs Emergency Rule

Against all expectations, the Nigerian Senate Tuesday,unanimously backed the state of emergency slammed on Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states last week, by President Goodluck Jonathan, following what was seen as ceaseless and senseless killings of people in the affected states by Boko Haram Islamist group. The upper legislative chamber had slated today, as a day for deliberation and subsequen

120 Insurgents Apprehended At Boko Haram Commanders Burial

The curfew imposed on Yobe and Borno states were relaxed, yesterday, just as the military made progress in the campaign against the Boko Haram insurgency in the two states. Yesterday, the military announced the arrest of 120 militants at a funeral ceremony for one of the commanders of the Boko Haram killed during a confrontation with the military. Many other militants were reported to be fleeing towards the eastern parts of Niger and Chad

ACN Calls For Rejection of Emergency Rule

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has,however, described the declaration of a state of emergency in the three states as lacking in original thinking, and therefore asked the National Assembly toreject it. In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said if the use of force was capable of ending the Boko Haram crisis, it would have ended a long time ago. It said while the President was right in expressing outrage over the mindless killings and wanton destructionby the insurgents, he was wrong in proposing more of the same measures that have failed to yield results. “If the medicine given to a patient has not cured his or her illness,

CAN Calls For Dissolution Of Amnesty Committee

The declaration of a state of emergency in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe has received the official endorsement of the umbrella body of Christians in the country, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, even as they called for the dissolution of the amnesty committee saying it was no longer relevant. CAN president, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, in a statement by his Special Assistant,

President Goodluck Jonathan Declares State Of Emergency In Three Northern States

In a televised address, he said he had given the military powers to take over security in the states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. He also ordered more troops to be sent to the north-eastern states. Islamist group Boko Haram has been blamed for most of the violence, killing some2,000 people since 2010.